Moisture detector configured to detect moisture in a cable

Abstract

A moisture detector detects moisture in a coaxial cable. The moisture detector may include a moisture detection portion disposed in at least a portion of a cavity portion and configured to engage a cable moisture alert portion that is configured to generate a cable moisture alert when moisture is present in the cavity portion, and wherein the moisture detection portion is configured to generate a moisture detected signal when moisture is present in the cavity portion and cause the cable moisture alert portion to generate the cable moisture alert that moisture is present in the coaxial cable when moisture is present in the cavity portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cable moisture detector configured to detect moisture in a coaxial cable, comprising:
 a housing portion configured to mechanically couple with a coaxial cable connector that terminates a coaxial cable;   an inner conductor portion disposed in at least a portion of a housing cavity portion of the housing portion and structurally configured to pass a radio frequency (RF) signal through the housing portion to a moisture alert device that is configured to provide a moisture presence alert when moisture is detected in the housing cavity portion;   a moisture detection circuit disposed in at least a portion of the housing cavity portion;   wherein the housing portion comprises an outer conductor portion that is configured to at least partially surround the inner conductor portion;   wherein the housing portion includes a connection portion that is configured to at least partially receive a coaxial cable connector that terminates the coaxial cable;   wherein the connection portion is configured to electrically couple an outer conductor of the coaxial cable connector with the outer conductor portion and to electrically couple a center conductor of the coaxial cable with the inner conductor portion; and   wherein the moisture detection circuit comprises an RF circuit that is configured to change an RF signal value when moisture is present in the housing cavity portion and relay an electronic signal to the moisture alert device so as to provide the moisture presence alert that moisture is present in the coaxial cable when moisture is detected in the housing cavity portion.   
     
     
         2 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 1 , wherein the RF circuit comprises an inductor and a capacitor configured to be connected to the inner conductor portion and to generate the RF signal value. 
     
     
         3 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 1 , further comprising a contact connected to the RF circuit, and wherein when the contact is contacted with moisture, the RF circuit value is changed. 
     
     
         4 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 1 , further comprising a moisture expansion material disposed in the housing cavity portion, the moisture expansion material being configured to expand when in the presence of moisture, and a piston portion at least partially disposed in the housing cavity portion and connected to the RF circuit, wherein the piston portion is configured to move in at least a portion of the housing cavity portion when the moisture expansion material expands to cause the RF circuit to change the RF signal value. 
     
     
         5 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 1 , further comprising a moisture-soluble material disposed on a portion of the outer conductor portion, and a contact portion configured to be connected to the RF circuit and to the moisture-soluble material, wherein the moisture-soluble material is configured to dissolve when moisture is present in the housing cavity portion so as to cause the contact portion to be contacted with the outer conductor portion to cause the RF circuit to change the RF signal value. 
     
     
         6 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 1 , further comprising a holding portion disposed in at least a portion of the housing cavity portion and configured to hold the inner conductor in at least a portion of the housing cavity portion. 
     
     
         7 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 1 , further comprising a moisture engaging portion configured to cause the RF circuit to change state when moisture is present in the housing cavity portion so as to cause the RF circuit to change the RF signal value. 
     
     
         8 . A cable moisture detector configured to detect moisture in a coaxial cable, comprising:
 a housing portion having a housing cavity portion and configured to couple with a coaxial cable connector that is configured to terminate a coaxial cable;   an inner conductor portion disposed in at least a portion of the housing cavity portion and configured to pass a moisture detection signal through the housing portion to a moisture presence alert portion that is configured to generate a moisture presence alert;   a moisture detection portion configured to be disposed in at least a portion of the housing cavity portion; and   wherein the moisture detection portion comprises an circuit configured to change a signal value when moisture is present in the housing cavity portion so as to generate a moisture detected signal and cause the moisture alert portion to generate a moisture present alert that moisture is present in the coaxial cable when moisture is detected in the housing cavity portion.   
     
     
         9 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 8 , wherein the circuit configured to change a signal value when moisture is present in the housing cavity is an RF circuit. 
     
     
         10 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 8 , wherein the housing portion comprises an outer conductor portion that is structurally configured to coaxially surround the inner conductor portion. 
     
     
         11 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 8 , wherein the housing portion includes a connection portion that is structurally configured to receive a coaxial cable connector that terminates the coaxial cable. 
     
     
         12 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 8 , wherein the connection portion is structurally configured to electrically couple an outer conductor of the coaxial cable connector with the outer conductor portion and to electrically couple a center conductor of the coaxial cable with the inner conductor portion. 
     
     
         13 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 8 , wherein the moisture detection portion comprises a circuit that includes an inductor and a capacitor configured to be connected to an inner conductor and to generate the moisture detected signal. 
     
     
         14 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 8 , wherein the moisture detection portion further comprises a moisture engagement portion that is configured to engage with the moisture detection portion, and wherein the moisture alert portion is configured to generate the moisture detected signal when moisture engages with the moisture engagement portion. 
     
     
         15 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 14 , wherein the moisture engagement portion comprises a moisture contact portion that is configured to contact the moisture detection portion, and wherein the moisture alert portion is configured to generate the moisture detected signal when moisture contacts with the moisture contact portion. 
     
     
         16 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 8 , wherein the moisture detection portion further comprises a moisture expansion material disposed in the housing cavity portion, the moisture expansion material being configured to expand when in the presence of moisture, and a piston portion disposed in at least a portion of the housing cavity portion and connected to the moisture detection portion, wherein the piston portion is configured to move in at least a portion of the housing cavity portion when the moisture expansion material expands to cause the moisture detection portion to change the moisture detected signal. 
     
     
         17 . The moisture detector of  claim 8 , wherein the moisture detector further comprises a moisture-soluble material disposed on a surface of the outer conductor portion, and a contact configured to be connected to the moisture detection device and to the moisture-soluble material, wherein when moisture is present in the cavity, the moisture-soluble material is configured to dissolve to cause the contact to be contacted with the outer conductor portion to cause the moisture detection device to change the moisture detected signal. 
     
     
         18 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 8 , further comprising a holding portion disposed in the housing cavity portion and configured to hold the inner conductor in position within at least a portion of the housing cavity portion. 
     
     
         19 . A cable moisture detector configured to detect moisture in a coaxial cable, comprising:
 a moisture detection portion disposed in at least a portion of a cavity portion and configured to engage a cable moisture alert portion that is configured to generate a cable moisture alert when moisture is present in the cavity portion; and   wherein the moisture detection portion is configured to generate a moisture detected signal when moisture is present in the cavity portion and cause the cable moisture alert portion to generate the cable moisture alert that moisture is present in the coaxial cable when moisture is present in the cavity portion.   
     
     
         20 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , further comprising a housing portion structurally configured to mechanically couple with a coaxial cable connector that terminates a coaxial cable. 
     
     
         21 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , further comprising an inner conductor portion disposed in a cavity of the housing portion and structurally configured to pass a moisture detection signal through the housing portion to an electronic component. 
     
     
         22 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the moisture detection portion comprises a moisture detection circuit. 
     
     
         23 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the housing portion comprises an outer conductor portion that is structurally configured to coaxially surround the inner conductor portion. 
     
     
         24 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the housing portion includes a connection portion that is structurally configured to receive a coaxial cable connector that terminates the coaxial cable. 
     
     
         25 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the connection portion is structurally configured to electrically couple an outer conductor of the coaxial cable connector with the outer conductor portion and to electrically couple a center conductor of the coaxial cable with the inner conductor portion. 
     
     
         26 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the moisture detection portion comprise a moisture detection circuit. 
     
     
         27 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 26 , wherein the moisture detection circuit comprises an RF circuit. 
     
     
         28 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 26 , wherein the moisture detection circuit comprises an inductor and a capacitor configured to be connected to an inner cable conductor portion and to generate a moisture detection signal. 
     
     
         29 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 26 , wherein the moisture detection circuit is configured to change a generated circuit value when moisture is present in the cable cavity portion. 
     
     
         30 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the moisture detection portion comprises a moisture engagement portion that is configured to cause the moisture detection signal to be generated when moisture engages the moisture engagement portion. 
     
     
         31 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the moisture engagement portion comprises a moisture contact portion that is configured to cause the moisture detection signal to be generated when moisture contacts the moisture contact portion. 
     
     
         32 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the moisture detection portion comprises a moisture engagement portion disposed in at least a portion of the cavity portion and configured to change in size when moisture engages the moisture engagement portion so as to cause the moisture detection signal to generate the moisture detected signal when moisture is present in the cavity portion. 
     
     
         33 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the moisture engagement portion comprises a moisture expansion portion that is configured to expand when moisture engages the moisture expansion portion so as to cause the moisture detection signal to generate the generate the moisture detected signal when moisture is present in the cavity portion. 
     
     
         34 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 33 , wherein the moisture expansion portion comprises a moisture expanding material that is configured to expand when moisture engages the moisture expanding material. 
     
     
         35 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein a piston portion is configured to disposed in at least a portion of the cable cavity portion so as to move in at least a portion of the cable cavity portion when the moisture engaging portion when moisture engages the moisture detection portion so as to cause the moisture detection signal to generate the generate the moisture detected signal when moisture is present in the cable cavity portion. 
     
     
         36 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the moisture detection portion further comprises a moisture-soluble material disposed on at least a portion of a surface portion of an outer cable conductor portion, and a moisture engaging portion configured to be engage the moisture detection portion and the moisture-soluble material, and wherein when moisture is present in the cavity, the moisture-soluble material is configured to dissolve so as to cause the moisture engaging portion to engage the outer cable conductor portion and cause the moisture detection portion to generate the generate the moisture detected signal. 
     
     
         37 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , wherein the moisture engaging portion comprises a moisture contact portion and the moisture-soluble material is configured to dissolve so as to cause the moisture contact portion to contact the outer cable conductor portion and cause the moisture detection portion to generate the generate the moisture detected signal. 
     
     
         38 . The cable moisture detector of  claim 19 , further comprising a holding portion disposed in at least a portion of the cable cavity portion and configured to hold the inner cable conductor in at least a portion of the cable cavity portion.